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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · chip · rush · fork · bat · bound · game · cue

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — in a road
  7. game — a match
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bound — certain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com